GeoffShackelford.com

When you realize that a golf club positions the player’s hands 40 inches, more or less, from a ball 1.68 inches in diameter that must be hit precisely after a swing that may take the clubhead on a round trip of as much as 26 or 27 feet, you become aware of the importance of using clubs conforming correctly to your requirements. TOMMY ARMOUR

Lots to chew on here with Tiger Woods signing a content deal with the PGA Tour’s oversees streaming distributor for exclusivity. Given how few homes will be seeing this channel the first few years, he’s signing up for a lot of work here with few eyeballs. But if the Discovery cash spends, then good for him.

Also noteworthy is the PGA Tour sending out this release and working in conjunction with Discovery to broker a deal with a player. Granted, it’s a legend of the game who is deservedly treated differently, but nonetheless intriguing.

NEW YORK – In a major development as part of the strategic partnership between Discovery, Inc. and the PGA TOUR, GOLFTV today announced an exclusive multi-year global content partnership with 80-time PGA TOUR winner and 14-time Major champion Tiger Woods.

Starting in January 2019, GOLFTV powered by PGA TOUR, the new global live and on-demand video streaming service jointly developed by Discovery and the TOUR, will collaborate with Woods on a wide range of programming, content creation and storytelling opportunities that will offer fans an authentic and regular look into the life, mind and performance of the game’s ultimate icon.

The GOLFTV partnership will reveal Woods as fans have never seen him before, providing an unparalleled opportunity to get close to Woods’ practice routines, preparation and life on the road through a variety of programming showcased exclusively on GOLFTV.

At least, fans in other countries. Who like to stream golf coverage. Hope Turner isn’t handling the credit cards! Tiger’s quote is fun:

“I’ve been watching Discovery and David Zaslav build up a global sports platform with Eurosport, the Olympics and the launch of GOLFTV with us at the PGA TOUR, so I think they’re the perfect partner to help grow the game.

Grow the game drinking game success!

“They’re global, they get sports and know how to build new, younger and big audiences.

It’s about the children!

“It’s a perfect fit and I’m so excited to be a real partner with the Discovery Sports team,” said Woods.

“I love the vision of GOLFTV and the ambition for it to become the premier destination for golf entertainment worldwide. To have my own platform to communicate is the culmination of a lot of hard work from my team and the team at Discovery.

Loooooong negotiation!

“We’re going to build content for everyone, whether you’ve been playing golf for a long time or just starting out. I’ll be sharing stories and giving insight into my approach that has never been seen before. This is such an exciting time for golf and for me, so to be part of the vision to grow the game all around the world is fantastic. I can’t wait to share my knowledge on GOLFTV,” he said.

And we can’t wait to hear what people say about it in Russia and Spain! Wait, there’s more. This must be a BIG check.

“I want to talk to golf fans and golfers everywhere, directly, and straight from me. That’s important to me. Talking about what we care about: what’s happening on the course, how to play better, how can I shoot lower scores tomorrow, how can I beat my friends? David explained how GOLFTV is for the fans and the players, a single place they’ll all want to go, and he’s building something everyone will want,” Woods remarked.

Wow, so much. The fine print:

Among the plans, Woods and GOLFTV are collaborating to develop:

Weekly practice and instructional videos to improve your game;

Exclusive access into Tiger’s preparation routines;

Behind-the-scenes access before and after PGA TOUR rounds;

Unique and exclusive post-round commentary,

Another post round interview? Oh yeah, 8 figures!

“Getting the chance to do instruction is exciting. I’ve always been focused on my own game and this experience can help players everywhere. Whether you’re a long-time player or a beginner, there are some things that help us all play better. It’s one way I want to give back to people who love the game like I do. If I can help the next generation enjoy the game more and play better, that’s pretty special,” Woods concluded.

You know I’ve always thought when Tiger wakes up in the morning, he’s just dying to do instruction videos and not getting the chance!

A first for Woods on video, this content will be exclusively owned by GOLFTV globally, including in the United States, where Discovery has the opportunity to execute an owned or partner distribution strategy.

Interesting wording there.

David Zaslav, President and CEO, Discovery, said: “I am excited to welcome Tiger to the Discovery family and to GOLFTV, a true superstar joining our company of world-class storytellers and brands. At the heart of Discovery is high-quality storytelling, told through the most authentic, credible and trusted voices. Tiger is the ultimate example of a world-class athlete and cultural figure with whom audiences are enamored, and follow closely around the world. Our global partnership with Tiger is a perfect example of our strategy to collaborate exclusively with top talent to extend global media platforms, and take advantage of our international distribution and technology infrastructure and aggregate audiences and build long-term value.

Whew covered all the key words. An activate would have been nice though.

“With Tiger joining us, I am confident that GOLFTV will be the new gold standard for comprehensive sports streaming, nourishing golf fans when and where they want to consume what they are most passionate about,” Zaslav added.

Nourishing?

This partnership with GOLFTV comes at an ideal time in Woods’ career, on the heels of a comeback season that saw him return to form in spectacular fashion, culminating in a history-making win at the 2018 TOUR Championship in September.

Alex Kaplan, President and General Manager, Discovery Golf, said: “It’s a privilege for us to welcome Tiger to the GOLFTV team. No one else in the game resonates globally the way Tiger does or has the global fan base, and he has great wisdom to share, on and off the course. We’re thrilled to give him the global platform to do just that, and to provide our audience in more than 200 markets and territories a closer look at Tiger on the greens and behind the scenes.

“Our long-term partnership with Tiger reflects our broader ambition as we roll-out the service over the coming years, seeking to grow GOLFTV into a true ecosystem for all things golf: watching, learning and playing,” Kaplan added.

Ecosystem. Nice.

GOLFTV powered by PGA TOUR will be available to fans starting January 2019*. It will present more than 2,000 hours of live action each year as well as a wide range of premium content on-demand, featuring the sport’s most exciting moments, superstar players and tournaments on every screen and device. Live coverage of the PGA TOUR will be extensive and include THE PLAYERS Championship, the FedExCup Playoffs and the Presidents Cup.

DISCOVERY SPORTS is the global leader in live sports with extensive brands and exclusive partnerships with premium sports and events including: Eurosport and the Eurosport Player, the Olympic Games, the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, La Vuelta a España, The Championships - Wimbledon, US Open, Roland Garros, Australian Open, ATP Tour, Bundesliga, English Premier League, UEFA Europa League, Eliteserien, PGA TOUR, Six Nations Rugby, FIS Ski World Championships, Moto GP and Formula E to name only a few.

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RIP His Ownself, Dan Jenkins. The best sportswriter ever. Not often do you get to hang out with your hero, but I did four times a year and consider myself one lucky SOB! Thanks for all the laughs and support over the years, press rooms and media hotel bars will never be the same.

Lefty! @djohnsonpga has a good move left or righthanded

90 years ago at Riviera’s first LA Open the press worked from the clubhouse patio using a telescope and binoculars. This week the @genesisopen media center was a massive operation in between holes 1 & 2 with WiFi, a barista, interview room, TV’s and ShotLink data at our fingertips. Thank you to the staff, volunteers @tgrliveevents @genesis_usa, Brenner-Zwikel team and @pgatour for another great week at Riviera during the 2019 Genesis Open won by J.B. Holmes.